Dec 28, 2009

BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY - DEFINITELY WHAT? (MARMALADE 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 3 bonus




Brian Auger was raised in London, where he took up the keyboards as a child and began to hear jazz by way of the American Armed Forces Network and an older brother's record collection. By his teens, he was playing piano in clubs, and by 1962 he had formed the Brian Auger Trio with bass player Rick Laird and drummer Phil Knorra. In 1964, he won first place in the categories of "New Star" and "Jazz Piano" in a reader's poll in the Melody Maker music paper, but the same year he abandoned jazz for a more R&B-oriented approach and expanded his group to include John McLaughlin (guitar) and Glen Hughes (baritone saxophone) as the Brian Auger Trinity. This group split up at the end of 1964, and Auger moved over to Hammond B-3 organ, teaming with bass player Rick Brown and drummer Mickey Waller. After a few singles, he recorded his first LP on a session organized to spotlight blues singer Sonny Boy Williamson that featured his group, saxophonists Joe Harriott and Alan Skidmore, and guitarist Jimmy Page; it was Don't Send Me No Flowers, released in 1968.
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By mid-1965, Auger's band had grown to include guitarist Vic Briggs and vocalists Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, and Julie Driscoll, and was renamed Steampacket. More a loosely organized musical revue than a group, Steampacket lasted a year before Stewart and Baldry left and the band split. Auger retained Driscoll and brought in bass player Dave Ambrose and drummer Clive Thacker to form a unit that was billed as Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity. Their first album, Open, was released in 1967 on Marmalade Records (owned by Auger's manager, Giorgio Gomelsky), but they didn't attract attention on record until the release of their single, "This Wheel's on Fire," in the spring of 1968, which preceded the appearance of the song on the Band's Music from Big Pink album. The disc hit the top five in the U.K., after which Open belatedly reached the British charts. Auger and the Trinity recorded the instrumental album Definitely What! (1968) without Driscoll, then brought her back for the double-LP, Streetnoise (1968), which reached the U.S. charts on Atco Records shortly after a singles compilation, Jools & Brian, gave them their American debut on Capitol in 1969. Driscoll quit during a U.S. tour, but the Trinity stayed together long enough to record Befour (1970), which charted in the U.S. on RCA Records, before disbanding in July 1970...
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BOBBY VINTON - MR. LONELY (EPIC 1964) Jap DSD mastering cardboard sleeve




BY REQUEST
Every era needs its crooner, and in the early '60s, it was Bobby Vinton. Vinton's sentimental balladeering and orchestral, middle-of-the-road arrangements were a throwback to a decade earlier, before rock & roll had found its mass market. If Vinton is sometimes identified with a rock & roll audience, it's only because his music was bought by young listeners for a time, and because he still catches some airplay on oldies stations. What he sang was vocal pop, landing some of the biggest hits of the early '60s with "Roses Are Red (My Love)," "Blue on Blue," "There! I've Said It Again," "Mr. Lonely," and "Blue Velvet," the last of which has become his signature song in the wake of its notorious prominence in David Lynch's Blue Velvet.
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Vinton originally aspired to lead a big band, and made big band versions of contemporary hits on his first recordings in the early '60s. When he began singing, however, he was quickly successful, reaching number one with "Roses Are Red (My Love)" in mid-1962. The syrupy, saccharine arrangements set the mold for his emotional, occasionally mournful hits throughout the early '60s. 1963 was his banner year, as he hit number three with "Blue on Blue," and then topped the charts with "Blue Velvet" and "There! I've Said It Again."
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"There! I've Said It Again" was knocked out of the number one spot by the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." But the British Invasion, surprisingly, didn't spell commercial death for Vinton, as it did for so many other balladeers and teen idols. Indeed, he had one of his biggest hits (and his final number one), the sobbing "Mr. Lonely," in late 1964.[allmusic]
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DION - RUBY BABY (COLUMBIA 1963) Jap DSD mastering cardboard sleeve




...BY REQUEST
When Dion began recording in the late '50s, it was as the lead singer of a group of friends who sang on Bronx street corners. Billing themselves as Dion & the Belmonts (Dion had released a previous single with the Timberlanes), their first few records were prime Italian-American doo wop; "I Wonder Why" was their biggest hit in this style. His biggest single with the Belmonts was "A Teenager in Love," which pointed the way for the slightly self-pitying, pained odes to adolescence and early adulthood that would characterize much of his solo work.
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Dion went solo in 1960 (the Belmonts did some more doo wop recordings on their own), moving from doo wop to more R&B/pop-oriented tunes with great success. He handled himself with a suave, cocky ease on hits like "The Wanderer," "Runaround Sue," "Lovers Who Wander," "Ruby Baby," and "Donna the Prima Donna," which cast him as either the jilted, misunderstood youngster or the macho lover, capable of handling anything that came his way (on "The Wanderer" especially).
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In 1963, Dion moved from Laurie to the larger Columbia label, an association that started promisingly with a couple of big hits right off the bat, "Ruby Baby" and "Donna the Prima Donna." By the mid-'60s, his heroin habit (which he'd developed as a teenager) was getting the best of him, and he did little recording and performing for about five years. When he did make it into the studio, he was moving in some surprisingly bluesy directions; although much of it was overlooked or unissued at the time, it can be heard on the Bronx Blues reissue CD.[allmusic]
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Dec 20, 2009

MC5 - BACK IN THE USA (ATLANTIC 1970) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve




The MC5 had a promising beginning which earned them a cover appearance on Rolling Stone magazine in 1969 even before their debut album was released. They developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1968 debut album "Kick Out The Jams". Their initial run was ultimately short-lived, though within just a few years of their dissolution in 1972, the MC5 were often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era. Their three albums are regarded by many as classics, and their song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered.
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While lacking the monumental impact of "Kick Out the Jams", the MC5's second album is in many regards their best and most influential, its lean, edgy sound anticipating the emergence of both the punk and power pop movements to follow later in the decade. Bookended by a pair of telling covers -- Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" and Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A." -- the disc is as much a look back at rock & roll's origins as it is a push forward into the music's future; given the Five's vaunted revolutionary leanings, for instance, it's both surprising and refreshing to discover the record's emotional centerpiece is a doo wop-inspired ballad, "Let Me Try," that's the most lovely and gentle song in their catalog. The recurring theme which drives Back in the USA is adolescence, its reminiscences alternately fond and embittered -- while cuts like "Tonight," "Teenage Lust," "High School," and "Shakin' Street" celebrate youth in all its rebellious glory, others like "The American Ruse" and "The Human Being Lawnmower" condemn a system which eats its young, filling their heads with lies before sending them off to war. Equally gripping is the record's singular sound -- produced by Jon Landau with an almost complete disregard for the bottom end, Back in the USA captures a live-wire intensity 180 degrees removed from the group's live sound yet perfectly suited to the material at hand, resulting in music which not only salutes the power of rock & roll but also reaffirms it.
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Dec 18, 2009

MIKE BLOOMFIELD/AL KOOPER/STEVE STILLS - SUPER SESSION (COLUMBIA 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus




BY REQUEST...
"Super Session" grew out of a single nine hour jam in 1968 by guitarists Stephen Stills and Mike Bloomfield and multi-instrumentalist Al Kooper. Kooper and Bloomfield had both previously worked in support of Bob Dylan, in concert and appearing on his ground-breaking classic, Highway 61 Revisited.
Kooper, fresh from having assembled and recorded the inaugural incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears, booked two days of studio time with Bloomfield in May 1968 in Los Angeles. They recruited keyboardist Barry Goldberg and bassist Harvey Brooks, both members of the band that Bloomfield was in the process of leaving, Electric Flag, and well-known session drummer "Fast" Eddie Hoh. On the first day the quintet recorded the first side of the album, tracks one through five of the CD version; the next day, Bloomfield, who was a heroin addict, abruptly disappeared after suffering an attack of what was euphemistically referred to as "chronic insomnia." Kooper hastily called on Stephen Stills to sit in for Bloomfield on what would become the second side of the album, tracks six through nine, including a lengthy cover version of Donovan's "Season of the Witch."
Some overdubbed horns were later added while the album was being mixed, which were eventually subtracted from the bonus tracks on this CD version. The album, which cost just $13,000 to make, was a top-20 hit which garnered a Gold Record award. Kooper forgave Bloomfield, and the two of them made several concert appearances after the album was released. One of these concerts was made into the live album "The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper".
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Dec 11, 2009

THE SUMMER SOUNDS - UP DOWN (LAUREL 1969)



Mega rare album from the Dartmouth, Massachusetts fivepiece outfit which was released originally on the Laurel label (Laurel 331098) in 1969.Up-Down is an album of largely self-penned material (only 2 covers, one of which is a strong version of The Spencer Davis Group’s hit, Gimme Some Lovin’) with The Leaves Are Turning Brown, complete with cheesy psych organ and wonderfully earnest vocals, is the stand out track!
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Up-Down is a beat-garage concept album detailing the highs and lows of a summer vocation romance, with, as you would expect, loads of moody teenage angst and lashings of self pity. The songs are all catchy, and there are a couple of good ballads.Summer Sounds was one of the best groups of its genre and consequently a number of the band’s tunes have been comp’d, although this is the first time that this album, with it’s ultra cool cover, has been reissued.
Track Listing: 1. Small World 2. Hard To Please 3. Lonely Beach 4. Gimme Some Lovin’ 5. One Last Kiss 6. The Leaves Are Turning Brown 7. Summer 8. I Love You 9. First Date 10. You Told Me...
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Dec 6, 2009

CLIFF RICHARD - DYNAMITE (ODEON 1965) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 6 bonus




Born October 14, 1940, Lucknow, India. Britain's most successful home-grown pop star (though born in India, his parents were British) first came to fame in 1958 with his debut disc "Move It", a rock 'n' roll number in the Elvis Presley mould. However, like Elvis himself, Cliff's output quickly settled down into a string of inoffensive, largely middle-of-the-road recordings, while his squeaky clean, teen-heart-throb image was put to use in a series of exuberant, innocent, and thinly-plotted film musicals including "The Young Ones" (1962) and "Summer Holiday" (1963).
The late '70s saw him surprisingly re-invented as a mildly-heavy rocker, and he finally achieved the US recognition that had eluded him for so long when "Devil Woman" reached the top ten there. In 1979 he released "We Don't Talk Anymore", which became his biggest-selling single worldwide, and more hits followed. In 1983, he marked his 25th anniversary in the business with a retrospective album "Silver" and new material in unusual styles...
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Dec 2, 2009

ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS - EVERY ONE OF US (MGM 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 1 bonus




Eric Burdon & the Animals were nearing the end of their string, at least in the lineup in which they'd come into the world in late 1966, when they recorded Every One of Us in May of 1968, just after the release of their second album, The Twain Shall Meet. The group had seen some success, especially in America, with the singles "When I Was Young," "San Franciscan Nights" and "Sky Pilot" over the previous 18 months, but had done considerably less well with their albums. Every One of Us lacked a hit single to help drive its sales, but it was still a good psychedelic blues album, filled with excellent musicianship by Burdon (lead vocals), Vic Briggs (guitar, bass), John Weider (guitar, celeste), Danny McCulloch (bass,12-string, vocals), and Barry Jenkins (drums, percussion), with new member Zoot Money (credited, for contractual reasons, as George Bruno) on keyboards and vocals. Opening with the surprisingly lyrical "White Houses" — a piece of piercing social commentary about America in early 1968 — the record slid past the brief bridge "Uppers and Downers" and into the extended, John Weider-authored psychedelic mood piece "Serenade to a Sweet Lady," highlighted by Briggs' superb lead acoustic guitar playing and Weider's subdued electric accompaniment. This is followed by the acoustic folk piece "The Immigrant Lad," a conceptual work that closes with a dialogue, set in a workingman's bar, in which two Cockney workers, voiced by John Weider and Terry McVay, talk about their world and their lives. "Year of the Guru" is another in a string of Jimi Hendrix-influenced pieces by this version of the Animals, showing the entire band at the peak of their musical prowess, and Burdon — taking on virtually the role of a modern rapper — generating some real power on some surprisingly cynical lyrics concerning the search for spiritual fulfillment and leaders. "St. James Infirmary" recalls "House of the Rising Sun," as both a song and an arrangement, and is worthwhile just for the experience of hearing this version of the group going full-tilt as a rock band. And then there is "New York 1963 — America 1968," an 18-minute conceptual track with a center spoken word section featuring not a group member, but a black engineer named Cliff, who recalls his experience as a fighter pilot during World War II, and tells of poverty then and now — although the opening section starts off well enough musically, amid Burdon's sung recollections of coming to America and his fixation on the blues and black music in general, and the closing repetition of the word "freedom" anticipates Richie Havens' famed piece (actually an extension of "Motherless Child") from Woodstock, the track is too long and unwieldy for any but the most fanatical listener to absorb as more than a curiosity of its time...
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EXCEPTION - THE EXCEPTIONAL EXCEPTION (PRESIDENT 1969) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve




This Birmingham band started in 1967 & they released a couple of commercial singles on "CBS" which are now of little interest before moving to "President" in 1968.....
Their later singles, "Dont Torture Your Mind", "Woman Of The Green Lantern" & a couple of more were in a different class to anything else they made before...Their 1969 album is also quite interesting...
They can also be heard on "The Best Of President, Vol 2". Dave Pegg was later with Ian Cambell Group & The Uglys & together with Eastwood and Hill was later in "Fairport Convention" & "Fotheringay".
Eastwood also had a solo 45, Blackbird Charlie/My Sun (President PT 209) in 1968...

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Nov 24, 2009

JOHN RENBOURN - FARO ANNIE (TRANSATLANTIC 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve




John Renbourn (born 8 August 1944, Marylebone, London, England) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career both before, during and after that band's existence (1967-1973).
While most commonly labelled a folk musician, Renbourn's musical tastes and interests take in early music, classical music, blues and world music. His most influential album, Sir John Alot (1968), featured his take on songs from the Medieval era.
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Renbourn released several albums on the Transatlantic label during the 1960s. Two of them, Sir John Alot and Lady And The Unicorn sum up Renbourn's playing style and material from this period. Sir John Alot has a mixture of jazz/blues/folk playing alongside a more classical/early music style. Lady And The Unicorn is heavily influenced by Renbourn's interest in early music.
At around this time, Renbourn also started playing with Jacqui McShee who sang traditional English folk songs. Together with Bert Jansch, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox, they went on to form Pentangle. The group became very successful, touring America in 1968, playing at Carnegie Hall and the Newport Folk Festival.
Renbourn went on to record more solo albums in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of the music is based on traditional material with a Celtic influence, interwoven with other styles. He also collaborated with American guitarist Stefan Grossman in the late 1970s, recording two albums with him, which at times recall his folk baroque days with Bert Jansch.
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Nov 19, 2009

HAMILTON, JOE FRANK & REYNOLDS - SAME (ABC/DUNHILL 1970) Jap 24 bit mastering




This soft rock trio from Los Angeles, California consisted of guitarist Dan Hamilton (originally from Wetnatchee, Washington), bassist Joe Frank Carollo (from Leland, Mississippi) and drummer Tommy Reynolds (from New York City). The three first came together in a studio instrumental group known as The T-Bones. During the early sixties, it was not uncommon for a record company to release material recorded by studio sessionmen and pass it off to the unsuspecting public as being recordings by a real, live rock 'n' roll ensemble.
The first LPs by the T-Bones, "Boss Drag" and "Boss Drag At The Beach", were released in 1964 to exploit the craze for instrumentals evoking surf and hot-rod themes. "Doin' The Jerk" followed the next year, to capitalize on the huge west coast dance craze, The Jerk. The T-Bones became a notable one-hit-wonder in late 1965 with a number three, U.S. hit called "No Matter What Shape Your Stomach's In", a composition by Sascha Burland based on an Alka-Seltzer commercial. An album of the same name became the group's only pop chart entry at number 75. A follow-up single, "Sippin' And Chippin'", which was based on a Nabisco jingle, stalled at number 62 and the album of the same name did not chart at all. The last T-Bones LP was "Everyone's Gone To The Moon", late in 1966.
Hamilton, Carollo and Reynolds finally tired of the studio grind and formed a trio under their own names, signing with Dunhill Records. Their first two singles were released in 1971, but "Annabella" and "Daisy Mae" failed to reach the U.S. charts or get much radio play. Their third effort however, "Don't Pull Your Love" became a smash hit, climbing to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, although it failed to chart at all in the UK. A long line of follow-up singles were issued, but none could match the band's earlier success and by early 1973, Tommy Reynolds left, joining another group called Shango.
In one of the boldest moves in rock & roll history, either Hamilton and Carollo or Dunhill Records hired singer Alan Dennison to take Reynolds' place, yet didn't change the name of the band! The assumption must have been that it was foolish to risk what little name recognition the floundering group already had.
The band continued to struggle artistically until 1975 when they released "Fallin' In Love", an easy listening ballad that was perfect for the adult oriented, FM soft rock market. The record shot up the U.S. charts, eventually hitting number one, while climbing to number 33 in the UK.
Feeling more like hit makers again, the band changed its name in 1976 to more accurately reflect the new line-up, and became "Hamilton, Joe Frank and Dennison". Under that name, they released one more minor U.S. hit called "Don't Fight The Hands (That Need You"). After that, the hits dried up completely and the trio went their separate ways.
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Nov 13, 2009

MARK-ALMOND - RISING (COLUMBIA 1972) Jap mastering




Mark–Almond were an English band of the late 1960s and early 1970s, who worked in the territory between rock and jazz. In 1970 Jon Mark and Johnny Almond formed Mark-Almond (also occasionally referred to as The Mark-Almond Band). The melancholy tones of saxophonist Almond were an integral part of the group's sound, and Almond frequently played flute as well, including the bass flute. Characterized by a blend of blues and jazz riffs, latin beats, and a mellow rock aesthetic, and in contrast the heavier guitar-driven rock of his contemporaries, composer and band leader Mark worked at producing warm and melodic works.
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Mark-Almond's first two albums, Mark-Almond (1971) and Mark-Almond II (1972) were recorded for Bob Krasnow's Blue Thumb label, and were noted for their embossed envelope-style album covers. "One Way Sunday" was a hit for them in the United States and hit #1 in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. The group then recorded two albums for Columbia Records, Rising (1972) and the live album, Mark-Almond 73 (1973), by which time the group's members had grown to seven. In October 1972, Mark was involved in an accident in Hawaii and lost most of his left-hand ring finger. "What Am I Living For" from Mark-Almond 73 gained the group the most U.S. radio airplay they would get, but nevertheless they disbanded later that year.
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Oct 27, 2009

CARAVAN - IN THE LAND OF GREY & PINK (DERAM 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 5 bonus




In the Land of Grey and Pink is considered by many to be a pinnacle release from Caravan. The album contains an undeniable and decidedly European sense of humor and charm. In addition, this would mark the end of the band's premiere lineup. Co-founder David Sinclair would leave Caravan to form Matching Mole with Soft Machine drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt in August of 1971. As a group effort, In the Land of Grey and Pink displays all the ethereal brilliance Caravan created on their previous pair of 12" outings. Their blending of jazz and folk instrumentation and improvisational styles hints at Traffic and Family, as displayed on "Winter Wine," as well as the organ and sax driven instrumental introduction to "Nine Feet Underground." These contrast the decidedly aggressive sounds concurrent with albums from King Crimson or Soft Machine. In fact, beginning with the album's title, there seems to be pastoral qualities and motifs throughout. Another reason enthusiasts rank this album among their favorites is the group dynamic which has rarely sounded more singular or cohesive. David Sinclair's lyrics are of particular note, especially the middle-earth imagery used on "Winter Wine" or the enduring whimsy of "Golf Girl." The remastered version of this album includes previously unissued demos/alternate versions of both tracks under the titles: "It's Likely to Have a Name Next Week" and "Group Girl," respectively. The remastered disc also includes "I Don't Know Its Name (Alias the Word)" and "Aristocracy," two pieces that were completed, but shelved in deference to the time limitations imposed during the days of wine and vinyl. The latter composition would be reworked and released on Caravan's next album, Waterloo Lily...
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Oct 21, 2009

MICHAEL DEACON - RUNNIN' IN THE MEADOW (MUSTARDSEED 1975) Jap/Korean mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus




"Folky singer-songwriter obscurity. You 'll hear a little light rock, a little blues, a little pop, and a little jazz. It is a "bread and butter" USA mix of some of the freshest songs weve heard in a long time, particularly "Yahoo!" - the title song from this signature album. It is truly a song that defies description. It moves, it lifts, it raises your spirit like no other popular song has ever done. There are 11 other offerings total, and better yet, each one of them has that unmistakable Michael Deacon touch that makes a song like "Yahoo!" so endearing; and the vocal quality, musical tightness, lyrical lilt - its there throughout this masterpiece. Enjoy this lovely album at face value. Then look just below the surface - you may be surprised at what you find." [net]
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GYPSY - GYPSY (UNITED ARTISTS 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 8 bonus




They were from Leicester, U.K. but the San Francisco sound of the late '60s is all over the group Gypsy. John Knapp (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Robin Pizer (guitar/vocals), Rod Read (guitar/vocals), David McCarthy (bass/vocals) and Moth Smith (drums) came together in 1968 and released a single on Fontana as Legacy before changing the group's name to Gypsy. Their self-titled debut was released by United Artists in 1971 and soon Rod Read left and was replaced by Ray Martinez. Little attention was paid to the band's 1972 sophomore album, Brenda & the Rattlesnake, and when the band handed in their third album in 1973, United Artists wasn't interested and it remained unreleased.
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Personnel:

John Knapp - vocals, guitar, keyboards
David McCarthy - bass, vocals
Robin Pizer - guitar, vocals
Rod Read - guitar, vocals
Moth Smith - drums
Ray Martinez - guitar, vocals

Albums:
Gypsy (UAS 29155) 1971
Brenda And The Rattlesnake (UAS 29420) 1972

45s:
What Makes A Man A Man/I Want To Be Beside You (UP 35202) 1971
Changes Coming/Don't Cry On Me (UP 35272) 1971
Brand New Car/You Know Better Than Me (UP 35462) 1972
Let's Roll/Without You (UP 35546) 1973

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Oct 8, 2009

JOHN ENTWISTLE - SMASH YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL (TRACK 1971) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 9 bonus




Smash Your Head Against the Wall is the debut solo album by John Entwistle of The Who, released on Track Records. Its bizarre cover strangely resembles an Egyptian sarcophagus - but it is in fact Entwistle wearing a death mask while looking through the chest X-ray of a lung cancer patient, a parody of anti-smoking advertisements of the era.
The album itself offers a more downbeat and aggressive view of life than even the Who had to offer at their most pessimistic, as witnessed in the title track (aka "My Size"), and the closing track, "I Believe In Everything", which ends with a seemingly impromptu chorus of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", to end a sometimes uncompromising album on an unexpectedly happy note. The album also features a remake of Entwistle's Who classic "Heaven and Hell" with Who roadie Cyrano Langston providing some acid-drenched guitar. Who bandmate Pete Townshend once said about the album, "We learned more about John from him making an album than we did in all the years he'd ever played bass with us", a reference to both his quiet demeanor and his then-mostly unknown capabilities as a songwriter.
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As many longtime fans of the Who know, the band was truly a vehicle for the songwriting of guitarist Pete Townshend. Despite the strength of the band as a 'unit' and the importance of each of the original member's personalities and quirkiness added to the mix, it was Townshend who wrote the majority of the quartet's songs since the very beginning. With Townshend knee-deep in his 'rock opera' phase (TOMMY, the aborted LIFEHOUSE, and QUADROPHENIA), there was little room for the songwriting talents of the other members.
As history has thus far indicated, bassist John Entwistle was the only other member with even average songwriting skills. With an armful of tunes piling up on the backburner, he assembled his first true solo album in 1971, SMASH YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL. It's a dark feast of gallows imagery and grim rockers. Featured is the perrenial "Heaven and Hell" (a track the Who had been performing in concert for some time), as well as a cover of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl," and the album opener "My Size."
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TEN YEARS AFTER - STONEDHENGE (DERAM 1968) Jap mastering cardboard sleeve + 4 bonus




Ten Years After is a British blues-rock quartet consisting of Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944), guitar and vocals; Chick Churchill (born January 2, 1949), keyboards; Leo Lyons (born November 30, 1944) bass; and Ric Lee (born October 20, 1945), drums. The group was formed in 1967 and signed to Decca in England. Their first album was not a success, but their second, the live Undead (1968) containing "I'm Going Home," a six-minute blues workout by the fleet-fingered Alvin, hit the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Stonedhenge (1969) hit the U.K. Top Ten in early 1969. Ten Years After's U.S. breakthrough came as a result of their appearance at Woodstock, at which they played a nine-minute version of "I'm Going Home." Their next album, Ssssh, reached the U.S. Top 20, and Cricklewood Green, containing the hit single "Love Like a Man," reached number four. Watt completed the group's Decca contract, after which they signed with Columbia and moved in a more mainstream pop direction, typified by the gold-selling 1971 album A Space in Time and its Top 40 single "I'd Love to Change the World." Subsequent efforts in that direction were less successful, however, and Ten Years After split up after the release of Positive Vibrations in 1974. They reunited in 1988 for concerts in Europe and recorded their first new album in 15 years, About Time, in 1989 before disbanding once again. In 2001, Ric Lee was preparing the back catalog for rerelease when he discoverd the Live at the Fillmore East 1970 tapes. He approached Alvin about getting back together to promote the lost album, but Alvin Lee declined. The rest of the band was up for it, though, and together with guitarist Joe Gooch, Ten Years After started touring again. In addition to touring the world, this new incarnation recorded their first new material in about a decade and a half and released Now in 2004 and added the live double CD set Roadworks in 2005. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
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